Astronauts escape malfunctioning Soyuz rocket (launch abort)

[NarrowBandFtw]

Gotta tell you that was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. All of it.

Blue Origin's rocket looks like a giant ... errr ... well damn

 

[Blu82]

So it seems they did a normal separation of the Soyuz capsule. It takes some balls to fly away slowly from a malfunctioning rocket instead of pressing the get out of dodge button. This song springs to mind.

 

[Compton_effect]

First incident since 1983. And over 139 launches.
That is pretty impressive for what is basically a machine designed to fly into space on top of a controlled explosion.

 

[eg2505]

so the Soyuz is similar to Gagarin capsule? is that why its so safe?

 

[Solarion]

Blue Origin's rocket looks like a giant ... errr ... well damn

Don't be rude

 

[Compton_effect]

so the Soyuz is similar to Gagarin capsule? is that why its so safe?

Nope. The modern Soyuz is based on the designs used for the failed Soviet moon program.

The only bit that comes down is the bell shaped Descent Module - and space inside it is cramped - the 3 crewmember's shoulders are literally touching.. The other two parts are jettisoned. The instrument compartment is all the hardware needed in orbit for power and propulsion. And the Orbital module is pressurized and is used by the crew in space - it also contains the docking module to the ISS.

EDIT: Fixed the most awkward typo that could happen with the word 'docking'.

 

[BBSA]

Are astronauts stuck on the ISS? A few questions and answers
The only rocket that takes humans to space has been grounded. Until "spring." That has all sorts of consequences for the astronauts on the space station.

https://amp.dw.com/en/are-astronauts-stuck-on-the-iss-a-few-questions-and-answers/a-45861402

 

[Knyro]

our kremlin correspondant will be here soon to inform us the problem was caused by the americans, simply because it's utterly impossible for the motherland to ever do or get anything wrong

indeed, and even now, not one death

the retired NASA space shuttle pretty much guaranteed killing the entire crew on malfunctions, of which there was more than there should have been

Right on time.

 

[ForceFate]

Right on time.

 

[Gordon_R]

Updated explanation video from Scott Manley:

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

Right on time.

8 posts and more than two hours after said "prediction" is apparently right on time?

More on time than 24 hours late to the punchline party I guess ...

I suppose it's funny if you go through life wearing your blinkers where everything confirms your own bias. Note how I didn't say anything other than quote the soyuz's service record ... oh my ... bloody agent ...

/s

 

[ponder]

 

[access]

same people that drilled a hole in the space station?

 

[eg2505]

are contingencies like this planned for? dont they have another soyuz connected to use for emergencies?
so they can return in case the iss gets hit by a meteor?

cant they retrofit a progress cargo ship for people to travel to the station in an emergency?

 

[AntennaMan]

are contingencies like this planned for? dont they have another soyuz connected to use for emergencies?
so they can return in case the iss gets hit by a meteor?

cant they retrofit a progress cargo ship for people to travel to the station in an emergency?

There is a capsule connected to the ISS. It can be used by the crew to return to earth. However, if they leave, the ISS will be uninhabited. Due to the nature of the beast, it needs lots of care and maintenance, so being left uninhabited is not ideal.
The current capsule must return around the end of December/early January at the latest. They are only allowed to stay in orbit around 200-210 days.

IIRC, Progress isn't human-rated. You don't want to take a chance like that with the lives of the astronauts.

2 biggest possibilities now are:
1. Send a Soyuz up unmanned to replace MS09 (the one currently docked to the ISS). Fairly low risk as there will be no astronauts/cosmonauts onboard.
2. Speed up the investigation to find out what went wrong, and ensure the next launch is safe.

 

[thestaggy]

138 crewed missions in total, only two of which resulted in the deaths of people = 4 deaths in total:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Soyuz_missions#Crewed_mission_numbers_and_spacecraft_generations

EDIT: so that is 136 successful landings out of 138 launches

To be fair to the Space Shuttle, it attempted 135 launches, 134 being successful and attempted 134 re-entries, 133 being successful. Granted when it did go wrong it was disastrous.

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

To be fair to the Space Shuttle, it attempted 135 launches, 134 being successful and attempted 134 re-entries, 133 being successful.

True enough, but its failures were more costly in terms of people: 14.

 

[thestaggy]

True enough, but its failures were more costly in terms of people: 14.

Yeah, can't argue with that. And to make it worse there was actually forewarning regarding those two failures. They were preventable.

 

[Compton_effect]

Soyuz failure probe narrows focus on collision at booster separation

Just to explain - the First stage has 4 Boosters (Marked in grey) that are bolted to the sides of the second stage. Once they are empty, they are pushed away from the second stage that then continues the flight to orbit.
3 of them seems to have separated the same way as every previous launch, but something went wrong with the 4th.

 

[AntennaMan]

Soyuz failure probe narrows focus on collision at booster separation

Just to explain - the First stage has 4 Boosters (Marked in grey) that are bolted to the sides of the second stage. Once they are empty, they are pushed away from the second stage that then continues the flight to orbit.
3 of them seems to have separated the same way as every previous launch, but something went wrong with the 4th.

I'm on my phone, so can't post the link, but Scott Manley has a decent explanation regarding this.